


Hollowed

by nyawer92



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hostile, Multi, On the Run, Political Alliances, Politics, Strategy & Tactics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2019-09-28 12:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17182799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyawer92/pseuds/nyawer92
Summary: How far would you go to save the people you love?Would you kill a friend to save the enemy?Sakura makes her decision.





	1. Chapter 1

Her body went numb when she heard the news.

It’s one of those moments when biology fails you. When your body cannot respond well to shock so it goes numb, the brain sends signals throughout the rest of your body and very soon your eardrums start to ring, you lose all feeling in your limbs and your vocal chords are unable to produce a sound despite your efforts.

It’s one those responses that Sakura didn’t think she would ever go through. She had often seen and treated patients who had gone through severe shock and were coming to terms with their predicament. She thought that maybe they just needed the time to process, that eventually they would be ready to rejoin the world in their full capacity.  
However, in that moment, when she was in a similar situation, Sakura realized that there is no cure for shock. That all she had ever done was give out false comfort and sugar coated words that would later have no effect on the patient whatsoever. If anything it only highlights her own insensitivity to their situation. 

If she had to diagnose herself she’d say that she was going through severe shock, her brain had gone blank, her limbs were in a state of paralysis, she couldn’t even breathe, and her heart was beating too fast against her rib cage. She could barely make out Shikamaru saying something to her.  
She knew it was important, he was frowning at her, wondering if she’s even listening. Truthfully she had heard him, but the second he started talking, Sakura knew what he was going to say. 

He was telling her about the Hokage’s decision, or rather the new Interim Hokage she thought bitterly.  
She wasn’t surprised, in all honesty it was going to happen soon, she just wasn’t ready to come to terms with it. Clearly knowing about it and actually facing it are two very different things. 

‘Sakura are you even listening?’ Shikamaru asked irritably

‘Yes, yes I am, I heard you Shikamaru’ replied Sakura blinking rapidly to center herself.

She inhaled sharply. ‘Go on’

‘Right, well you know the basics, The interim Hokage-sama has issued a capture on sight order for Sasuke, he’ll be brought back, interrogated and executed eventually’  
She nodded slowly, trying to gather her bearings.

‘Why will they interrogate him?’ 

‘His affiliation with the Akatsuki was confirmed yesterday. Witnesses near Lightening Country saw him fighting in a black cloak covered in red clouds.’ He looked at Sakura sympathetically and sighed.

‘It’s him, Sakura, there’s no mistaking it. Look, officially I can’t do anything to help you out. I know what this means to you, and I know that Naruto isn’t here. When he returns from training, we’ll keep him in the village till the retrieval mission is successful’

‘Good luck keeping him here’ Sakura scoffed.

Shikaramu smiled wryly, ‘I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but we’ll keep him under house arrest if we have to’

Sakura nodded and he left the medic camps.

She didn’t know how to feel about it, more importantly, she knew exactly how Naruto would feel and what he would do if he found out. 

Still, a part of her was relieved. Sasuke would be captured and brought back for interrogation. Probably to find out how he killed Orochimaru and Itachi. Somehow she doubted Konoha would claim Itachi’s remains and give him a proper burial. 

She scoffed at the thought. Danzo would rather watch half the village burn with its inhabitants in it. 

Sakura knew they were planning for something that could never happen. Sasuke would never come quietly not to mention he would give the ANBU sent to apprehend him quite the fight. He would know about the attack, he would suspect it and slip around them.


	2. Chapter 2

The days stretched into an unidentifiable blur. Sakura couldn’t remember a time when Konoha wasn’t caught in its rehabilitation, or when every village inhabitant wasn’t working tirelessly to rebuild its infrastructure.

The first week after Akatsuki’s attack, had been the worst. There was a shortage of food supply, and the water irrigation systems had been blasted to smithereens. They had to gather water from a supply line at the far end of the village, and even then they would always be running out.

Sakura had found herself chained to the makeshift medical camps, during those days. Casualties had been enormous and the number of people injured kept skyrocketing. How she managed to get through it on little sleep is anyone’s guess. The poor overworked medics had no sense of direction and with Tsunade in a coma and Shizune sitting vigil; it was up to Sakura to take on the mantle of leadership and make do.

It was tough at first, but Sakura accepted the challenge, and soon the medics, as overworked as they were, began to fal into a steady rhythm without complaint.  
Now, two months later, with Tsunade showing no progress, and Shizune refusing to leave her side, Sakura was running out of options. She had tried to persuade Shizune to return to active duty but the older woman paid her no attention. With a faraway look in her eyes, she grew even more sad and withdrawn. Sakura understood her pain, she felt it too, but she also knew hiding away or cutting herself off from the world, wasn’t the answer.

She tried not to think about it, especially after Shikmaru’s visit to her medical camp, but she realized that he situation was becoming graver by the second. Tsunade’s lack of progress would only solidify Danzo’s leadership, and with him taking more active and bold steps, it was clear that he was ready for a scenario where Tsunade was out of the picture all together.

Sakura knew that Naruto would try to stop him, but Naruto was a billion miles away with Kakashi, Guy and Yamato, he needed to focus on his training for now. Although Sakura shuddered to think what he would do, if he found out about Danzo’s executive order.

Sakura shook her head and sighed deeply, there was work needed to be done, she couldn’t afford to get sidetracked like that, she’ll just have to deal with the situation as it happens, besides, Sasuke being brought back was hardly her concern, he’ll likely elude them and if he gets captured, he’ll be brought back alive anyway. Naruto will complain but he wants Sasuke back in the village, it’s something he’ll have to concede to even if he finds Danzo’s methods questionable.

Sakura stopped by the makeshift tent, where all salvaged medical records were kept. Genin volunteers had tried and gathered whatever they could from the carnage of the Konoha library. It wasn’t much but it was something to preserve and on occasion, consult when needed. If anything she decided, there’ll be something in the records to help her current patients, now that the library was gone.

Sakura was sifting through the small piles when she overheard a few people whispering outside the tent. She looked around to see if anyone else was around but found the camp deserted.

‘Yes I heard it myself while I was delivering the Fire County border report’ whispered a ninja.

Sakura inched closer to hear them, there were ongoing skirmishes on the Fire Country border, if anything, it could mean, rogue ninja would take advantage of Konoha’s vulnerable position.

‘Are you certain? Why would Hokage-sama backtrack now? The orders were clear’ whispered his companion

‘For all we know, his orders were a smokescreen, you know how ROOT operates. Danzo ordered Uchiha’s capture, but I heard him send very skilled assassins to kill Uchiha in Iron country where he’s rumored to be travelling.’

‘It doesn’t make any sense’ exclaimed the first ninja.

‘Yeah, I know what you mean, this kind of stuff wouldn’t have happened on Tsunade-sama’s watch. Terrible times for Konoha’ he sighed, and walked away.

His companion followed closely behind after a beat.

Sakura released a sharp breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

They’re going to kill him! He wasn’t going to get captured and interrogated, that was never Danzo’s intention! Tsunade hadn’t taken any action because she knew it would upset her and Naruto. But Danzo is different; he would take action by any means necessary!

Sakura knew ordering Sasuke’s death sends a strong message to Konoha and the other ninja villages; it’s a declaration that no one messes with Konoha or Danzo and that the old world order is being restored once more. Danzo represents the traditional, cold-hearted, calculated side of being a ninja, something very few have the heart to tolerate.

She regained her footing, steadying herself before she collapses under the weight of the truth. She needs to be strong if she has to survive this. She needed a solid plan. Question is, who can she trust?

She was about to leave the tent when a thought occurred to her; what if those men were planted there by Danzo? What if she was being watched, Kakashi and Naruto are away, making things easier for him but he wasn’t one to leave loose ends, which means that Sakura is being considered as a potential threat or an instigator of rebellion once word of his death gets out. So Danzo isn’t taking any chances huh? She thought bitterly.

Sakura decided that the best case scenario would be to confirm her suspicions before acting on them; she just needed to find someone who had access to such information, someone she could trust.

Sakura sighed inwardly, good luck finding them now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> Leave a comment or a kudos!


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura power walked all the way back to the medical camps to wrap up her cases for the day. Her mind was reeling from the information she had chanced upon, if Danzo intends to kill Sasuke, there will be an internal rebellion in Konoha. 

The village could be facing a civil war, one waged between Tsunade loyalists and the supporters of the old-world order. Sasuke’s assassination could serve as a lynchpin for Konoha to destroy itself once and for all! A threat gone for the neighboring villages and for powers like Orocharu who wanted Konoha destroyed long time ago. 

Maybe that’s the angle being played now. Danzo has aligned himself previously with Orochimaru, everyone knows he really can’t be killed, maybe Danzo found a way to contact the snake sannin and the two conspired another way for Konoha’s downfall. Maybe Kabuto is the messenger who is still doing Orochimaru’s bidding in a different way.   
Either way, this is bigger than what Sakura had imagined and most definitely needs confirmation. Sakura decided that the best way to approach it would be to talk to someone trustworthy and part of Danzo’s immediate circle. 

Sakura decided that talking to Sai would be best. He trusts her and cares for her in his own creepy way; he wouldn’t let her down. If anyone would know anything about Danzo’s whereabouts, it would have to be Sai.

Sakura trudged over to Sai’s living quarters later in the evening. She knew his new place was on the far side of the main village square and that he was in the village assisting its reconstruction. 

Sakura knocked on the simple light wooden door and heard a small ‘enter’ 

She moved past it and walked into a simple, almost bare, room save for a few pieces of furniture. 

‘Ugly, what are you doing here?’ He questioned, tilting his head to the side.

‘Uh…I wanted to pay you a visit, you know for old times’ sake…’ she began, not sure how to bring it up

‘I see’ he spoke tensely. 

Sai moved to close the door and windows, raising his eyebrows at her expectantly. 

She sighed; there was no turning back now. 

‘Sai, I heard something today, something I shouldn’t have, but it was something I couldn’t ignore, so I’m just going to say it, and you need to be honest with me, because it’s really important if you confirm or deny it’ 

‘Okay’ he spoke slowly. Although his face betrayed no emotion, Sakura knew he was confused

‘Is Danzo sending ANBU ROOT members to kill Sasuke on sight? The whole capturing and interrogating him, is that a smokescreen?’

If Sai was surprised, he didn’t show it. 

‘Sakura, where did you hear that?’ he said frowning.

‘Just answer the question, I’ll believe whatever you say but you need to first be honest, is it true?’ she bit her lip, anxious to hear his response.

‘Yes it’s true. But you need to know, it’s not that simple, Danzo-sama believes letting Sasuke roam free isn’t a wise decision, he could set his sights on Konoha and put us in a state of war again, he think killing him now is the right course of action’

‘I see’ said Sakura frostily ‘so you believe Danzo-sama?’ She bit out the last word furiously. 

‘I am inclined to do so. Sakura, I am sorry, I know what this means to you. I know what it’ll mean to Naruto, but I have to play my part as instructed by Kakashi-san. You asked me a question, I answered, there’s nothing more than I can do without jeopardizing my delicate position’ Sai explained

‘It’s fine Sai; you’ve done what you can. Thanks for being honest with me’ Sakura gave him one of her fake smiles and left after politely saying goodbye.

She couldn’t fault Sai for his precarious position in ROOT; the fact that he confirmed it only proved that he was willing to help her, just not enough to lead a revolution. 

Sakura left the newly built compound to head to the medical camps again, she needed to strategize and think. 

She had just turned around the corner, when a hand shot out of a near alleyway and caught her wrist. She was suddenly turned on the spot a hand covering her mouth and pinning her to the nearby wall. The newly made square wasn’t so busy in the evening nowadays, so she knew better than to wander around alone. However she was a trained ninja so she clasped her hand around the wrist that held her and twisted it, making her assailant yelp in pain.

‘Hey, watch it, I’m only trying to be cautious Sakura!’ said the voice

Sakura opened her eyes, and recognized the voice.

The hand clamped on her mouth was pushed away and Sakura whirled around to confront her ‘attacker’ in shock. 

‘Wh-What? Sh..Shikamaru, what are you doing?’ she yelled

‘Shhhh, pipe down woman, not here, c’mon’

‘Why should I go anywhere with you after the stunt you pulled?’ she questioned threateningly with arms crossed around her chest.

He sighed, ‘Sakura, not here, I’ll explain everything, once we go somewhere safe’

She gave him a skeptical look but followed nonetheless.

Once inside his tiny, cramped, makeshift apartment, Sakura turned to him with an expectant look on her face.

‘I know why you went to see Sai, I know what you heard and what you’re thinking of doing’ 

‘You don’t know what’s going on in my head, Shikamaru’

‘No, but I can come up with a thousand strategies, all ending up with you getting yourself hanged for treason. Now you can go ahead and dig a grave for yourself or you can lay low, come up with a strategy and then act’ 

Sakura scoffed ‘Why don’t I just ask you to hand me over to the authorities, since you’ve caught me now’

Shikamaru blanched. ‘Why would I do that?’ 

‘Aren’t you working for Danzo’s administration? I’m Tsunade’s apprentice through and through, loyal to her, here I am stirring up trouble, enough of a warrant to have me arrested and locked up wouldn’t you say?’ 

‘That’s not what’s happening here, Sakura. I am loyal to Tsunade too. Danzo’s orders to have Sasuke killed will only create trouble for Konoha and the ninja community.’

‘We will be looking at civil war, there’s no way it can be avoided’ Sakura supplied

‘Exactly’

‘Okay, so we’re on the same side, what now?’ 

‘Come up with a strategy, what do you think will be Danzo’s first move?’

‘To get rid of all those who would oppose the decision, like Naruto and Kakashi. Sai is already working with him so putting Sai on a distant mission isn’t going to be difficult. We’re all being watched too, at least I know I will be, if Danzo bothered to do some research on Sasuke.’ 

He nodded sternly, ‘Which means, we’re going to have to be careful from now on, lay low and keep little contact, Sakura I can’t promise that he’ll be dissuaded, I mean I can try and float in a counter argument but I can’t give any guarantees. We need a purpose too for this.’

‘Yeah I know. I’ll be on the lookout for an opportunity’ she smiled, thanked him and left.

Sakura knew she had to work fast and smart. Having Shikamaru on her side was a plus but it was a shift alliance, especially with Shikamaru’s closeness with the higher-ups, he was a jonin now, he had to answer directly to the Hokage. If Sakura had to act, she had to make sure Shikamaru didn’t get necessarily dragged through.

She had to move soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment or a Kudos!  
> I'd love to hear what you think :)


	4. Chapter 4

Days stretched to weeks and weeks stretched to months. Three months had passed until Sakura heard something from Shikarmaru about the supposed counter-argument. She chalked it out to how late bureaucratic affairs can be, however she was starting to get anxious , especially since their last meeting.

In the three months since their first meet up, Sakura had talked to Shikamaru for a few minutes only a handful of times, all leading with him telling her how he’s coming up with an argument or how long it’s taking because other matters take priority. At this rate, Sakura thought, the assassins will have already been sent to track him down and would have done the job. She needed to work on her own. 

As per her suspicions, ANBU agents had been sent to spy on her and track her whereabouts, she often felt a shadow or a presence lingering around her whenever she worked. Her trained ninja senses could pick up slight movements and a chakra purposely concealed, masking their presence from her. 

One even had the gall to confront Shikamaru on his frequent meetings with Sakura in different places. He had the smarts to come up with crafty and elaborate story of how the two were going out secretly and did not want to alarm their friends. 

He had apologized profusely albeit uncomfortably, Sakura didn’t know if it was smart or funny. She decided to forgive him for the slight and focus on the issue at hand. She had to admit, it was a crafty cover up. One she’ll tease him over later.

Sakura stretched as she signed off the last of the paperwork, she was working on. The reports took forever to sift through but she was sure she did a decent enough job on them. She took her leave from the small, still under construction, hospital building and made her way home. She was turning on a familiar corner when she saw Shikamaru and stilled, he was flanked by ANBU guards. It could only mean that Danzo caught a whiff of what they were up to.

‘Hey Shikamaru’ she began tentatively

‘Yo, is there somewhere we can talk?’ he said quietly, throwing the guards a knowing look,

She nodded, and they both strolled in the street, with the guards following closely behind.

‘I guess I’ll just say it. These few weeks were really fun and I had a good time, but it can’t continue. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I can’t jeopardize everything that I’ve worked for, for a few moments of your company. We both knew it wasn’t going to work out in the long run and I wish I could feel different, but I can’t, I’m very sorry Sakura’ he looked at her with a cryptic look.

Sakura understood that his flimsy breakup was a message. 

It didn’t work with Danzo so he can’t be seen associated with her unless he wants to have a noose tied around his neck. 

Sakura tried to look as crestfallen as she could.

‘I appreciate you being honest with me, I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me’ she smiled at him and even tried to slide a tear down her cheek.

He nodded and without a word, stalked over in the opposite direction with the guards following behind.

She sighed; it was a no go from the beginning. If Danzo was suspicious, it could mean only one thing, he plans on sending the ANBU assassin soon and, and there’s nothing a counter-argument or anything else that can change his mind.

Sakura had to do this her way.

She summoned her loyal slug Katsuyu and asked her to track any news about Sasuke and his movements. In addition to that, she instructed the slug to leave behind a clone of herself. The soft-spoken slug didn’t object to the odd instructions and promptly left with a poof of smoke. 

Sakura tracked down Shizune and found her now moved into a temporary living space for her and Tsunade, where she barely leaves. She stopped working at the hospital and consulting on cases, her only purpose is to take care of her mentor. Sakura pitied the older woman; Tsunade was all she ever had. She sighed and spoke to the dark haired woman gently.

‘Shizune-senpai, how are you feeling?’ 

When she got no response and only a blank stare, Sakura pursed her lips and start explaining the situation. Katsuyu’s tiny clone was perched still on her shoulder. She looked around; the space was minimally covered and was littered with empty bottle and wrappers. Shizune was clearly not good with up keep.

‘Senpai, you need to leave right now! Pack your things, basic essentials would do and start moving. Danzo has already executed his plan to kill Sasuke, he’s sent ANBU operatives to track him and kill him on sight. He’ll do the same with Tsunade, please you have to leave both of you!’

Shizune didn’t move only opened her mouth and started gasping quietly.

‘Kill, Tsunade-sama…kill her….Danzo!’ she choked out.

‘Yes, but please I’m going to help you’ 

‘Help..’ she started in her wispy voice

‘Yes help, grab your things anything you can find and I’ll move shishou, don’t worry no one would know’

‘I-I..’ she began

Sakura was running out of patience, she looked around the room and grabbed the first bag she could get a hold of from the nearby closet. She stuffed a handful of clothes for both of them and tossed the bag to a confused Shizune. 

‘Here, please hold onto this tightly. Katsuyu please reverse summon them to Shikkotsu forest, please take care of both of them’ she smiled at her companion sadly.

‘Don’t worry, Sakura-sama, I’ll look after them’ replied the slug. She hopped onto Tsunade’s unconscious body and asked for Shizune to hold on her and her things. Shizune turned to Sakura and was about to say something when the younger woman cut her off.

‘There’s no time, go, I’ll be fine’ 

She nodded and they disappeared with a poof.

Right, one less thing to worry about Sakura thought and frowned, Danzo and his cronies will want to know what happened here. Sakura decided it was time to say her goodbyes too. 

Her parents had already taken off on holiday, and were most likely going to extend that courtesy of Shikamaru. The Nara family owned a quiet home in Tea Country Shikamaru had kindly arranged for them to go into hiding where no one would bother to look for them. She made a mental note to thank him when all this was over.

Sakura rushed to her apartment, leaping over the newly constructed rooftops to get to her place. She grabbed her things, geared up and after a second thought left her forehead protector. She was going to be branded anyway, what was the point of keeping it there?

Sakura rushed past the main Konoha gates in a blur, confusing the guards. She needed to work fast and get a steady head start before they realize she turned rogue and left. She sent another small summoning message to Kakashi, telling him she was okay, not to look for her and that she was doing what needed to be done. She told him to focus on training Naruto. 

Sakura leaped from tree branch after tree branch keeping a fast pace. It wasn’t until she had reached the border of the fire country later that evening when she got word from Katsuyu. Sasuke was somewhere near Kusagakure (Grass Country) and was accompanied by a few more individuals. Katsuyu also reported that he was clad in a black cloak with red clouds. So it is true, he really did join them Sakura thought. 

Sakura decided not to waste any time, it would take four days to get to Kusagakure and she needed to move as stealthily as possible. Sakura spent the next hour getting out of Fire country and creating as much distance as she could with Konoha. They’ll understand she told herself. Her parents, Ino, Naruto, they’ll understand why she’s doing this, someday.

She rounded up on a ship taking her to grass’ nearest port. She was going to do this. She was going to meet up with Sasuke and warn him, assuming they didn’t get to him first. That was a probability Sakura hadn’t prepared for yet.


	5. Chapter 5

It took her a day and half to reach the port in Grass country. From then on, she made it a point to pick up the pace and take as little breaks as possible to get to Sasuke. She kept Katsuyu with her as a compass to track down Sasuke’s movements. So far, she had learned that Sasuke had moved from his previous resting place to another point, in a small village in Grass Country. He showed no signs of haste, which meant he was still unaware of the ANBU trailing after him. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief; at least she knew he was alive. 

The ship carrying Sakura, docked at the port and she took off from there on foot. Leaping from branch o branch, Sakura made it a point to rush and meet Sasuke before the ANBU intercepted him. By nightfall, she had located the inn he was staying at and devised a plan to approach him. 

She went over a series of plans and strategies that would allow her to talk to him alone without him being flanked by his teammates. By the third hour of her supposed strategy session, Sakura heard movement in the woods nearby.

The inn was secluded and surrounded by a forest, which made sense for Sasuke to escape prying eyes. However in this case it failed, Sakura sensed three shinobi inching towards, the inn. Sakura could tell they were heavily masking their chakra, however, Sakura knew Sasuke would have picked up on it, as two odd looking shinobi stepped out of the inn facing the direction of the forest.

Sakura was puzzled, had Sasuke picked up on her chakra too? She had taken the trouble to conceal her chakra so as not to alarm him and his companions. But this was different, Sasuke expected to be tailed, especially after joining Akatsuki and attacking the Raikage’s brother. 

Sakura held her breath as she saw ANBU operatives engaging in a fight with the two shinobi. One was wielding the biggest sword she had ever seen! It was also strangely familiar. He swung it with great ease and was going toe to toe with the ANBU ninja. The other Sakura was shocked to see, had transformed into a great beast! He had markings similar to Sasuke under the influence of Orochimaru’s seal. Sakura knew they were Sasuke’s companions, which meant that they had expected the attack and were drawing out the ANBU while Sasuke escaped from the other side. 

Sakura moved to other side of the inn, where Sasuke was presumably making his exit. She saw him clad in a dark cloak, running off to the other side of the forest with a red headed ninja who was also dressed in black. Sakura was about to call him, when she heard a whirring of kunai. 

Sakura ducked and avoided getting hit. The kunai flew in the direction of the lost nin and barely missed them. Sakura gasped as the nin sped off after them and released a water style ninjutsu. She saw Sasuke blocking it with his Katon and speeding off towards a clearing in the woods, taking advantage of the created steam. 

Sakura couldn’t see anything, but she could make out the silhouette of an ANBU operative closing in towards her with the intent to kill. She slid down and kicked the man’s ankles and turned around to give a roundhouse kick, leaving him a crumpled mess on the ground. She tapped his head with a chakra-engulfed hand and he instantly fell unconscious.   
Her heart was pounding unsteadily as she thought about the assailants. Did they find Sasuke already? She sped up in a random direction towards what she guessed was the forest. Her instincts led her towards the deep end in the woods. It was darker and colder there, and she strained for any sound of movement. 

She reached towards a clearing and saw Sasuke engaged in a battle with the ANBU ninja. She sped up towards them and waited for an opening. She saw Sasuke expertly avoiding kunai and an earth release directed at him. The air around them had grown considerably denser, which only meant that he was preparing to release his chidori. Sure enough, she saw his palm engulfed in a cackle of lightening and direct it towards the assailant. It hit and the ANBU nin fell back staggering. However, it was not quite enough as Sasuke leapt back and prepared for another attack. 

Sakura fixed her eyes on Sasuke and her trained medic senses picked up on certain anomalies. For starters, Sasuke did not demonstrate sharp and quick reflexes like she was used to seeing him in battle, instead he was sluggish, almost as if-

He’s recovering! Sakura thought instantly. That’s why he’s slow on the uptake. His teammates were taking care of him because his previous fight with the Raikage’s brother had done a number on him; Sasuke was putting on a great show for someone who barely escaped with his life. 

She moved quickly and with a purpose. Sakura made a few hand seals and released her water style ninjutsu that she had been working on. The ANBU guard was caught off guard. Sakura used his disorientation as an advantage and swung her leg to deliver a swift kick to the man’s head. He promptly passed out and Sakura used a chakra infused hand to sever the muscles in his shin; at least he won’t be able to move now.

She had just exhaled audibly when something sharp collided with her side. The next thing she knew, she was being pinned to a nearby tree, restrained by what felt like a sword inching near her throat and deep crimson eyes she could never forget swirling in her line of vision….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how the action part turned out, but anyway, let me know what you think!  
> Leave a review or a kudos! :)


	6. Chapter 6

For a while all she could see were stars and spots dancing in front of her eyes. She knew she had hit her head on tree bark when she was slammed into it; she tried to keep a level head inspite of the hit.

She sent chakra silently to her head to avoid a concussion; she then steadied her breathing and looked up at the red swirling tomoes. She mustered all her courage not to be influenced by the genjutsu he would likely place on her by sending another wave of chakra through her system.

‘Explain’ he bit out.

She could see he was livid, probably thought she was an ANBU operative. She couldn’t blame him, but then again he had surprised her with the whole Akatsuki joining too.

‘Let go of me’ she said, gritting her teeth and trying to wiggle out of his grasp, fully aware of the sword pointing at her neck.

She was pinned to place even harder than before, rendering her unable to move. Instead she focused on giving out her most ferocious glare.

‘I’m not here to kill you, if that’s what you’re wondering’ she spat out, if wants to play this game, so will she.

Sakura was done being the simpering girl, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but she will make him understand the gravity of the situation.

‘Hn’ was all the reply she got.

She shot him another glare.

‘How do we know that’s the truth?’ said his white haired teammate, grinning at her toothily. He was still wielding the enormous sword and had joined them shortly after he was done dealing with the assailants.

‘Because I just took out an ANBU nin that was aiming to kill him’ she retorted, nodding towards, Sasuke.

‘Oh. Right’ he replied, puzzled.

‘That doesn’t prove anything, for all we know you took them out to make us want to think you’re one of them’ came a sharp accusation from the red headed girl.

Sakura knew she had her work cut out for her, but they were wasting time.

‘Look, I don’t care if you trust me or not, I’m here to warn you. Danzo sent ANBU operatives to take Sasuke out, you just took down a few of them, many more are likely to follow, this mission is top priority right now, Danzo will not tolerate mishaps’ she glared at Sasuke.

He simply stared at her with a frown on his face, but he wasn’t looking at her, she noticed that his line of vision, was towards the top of her head.

‘Where’s your forehead protector?’ he asked

‘I don’t need it’ she replied

He scoffed ‘You left Konoha’ It was a simple statement, as if he found it so incredulous.

‘Yes, I left Konoha, it’s not my village anymore, not while Danzo is named Hokage’ she said tersely.

‘Hn’

He released her and Sakura exhaled sharply.

‘So you left the village to warn me. Then what? I have been away for years and always expected Konoha to send shinobi to have me executed, why is that a big deal now?’

  
Sakura huffed. ‘Yes your name has been in the bingo book for years, but the only reason you were spared was because Tsunade-shishou was Hokage. Under her watch no one pursued you or branded you as a missing nin. Not with Naruto breathing down her neck.’

‘Where is he now?’

‘Gone; along with Kakashi-sensei and Tsunde; Sasuke, Konoha isn’t the same anymore. You can’t trust anyone, not your neighbors, your friends, no one. It’s all because Danzo took charge, he wasn’t supposed to, but he somehow influenced the decision and now Konoha is flanked with ROOT. Everywhere we go, we’re being watched. It’s like a dark shadow is looming over us’

‘Why should I care how Konoha is?’ he said harshly

Sakura frowned at that, he had never shown open hostility towards the village, what happened to him?

‘I don’t care what your personal feelings are for the village, as far as we’re concerned he’s sent a handful of nin to kill you under the guise of torture and investigation. He has half the village thinking you’ll be brought back for questioning. But it’s only a matter of time. He plans on restoring the old world order that Sandaime-sama had negated. If you don’t leave now, you’ll only end up being collateral in his sinister schemes’

Sasuke sighed inaudibly; Sakura could see his thoughts processing in his mind.

‘Fine. We leave for Iron Country as planned.’ He murmured to his teammates.

‘You won’t be following us’ he shot at her.

Sakura frowned.

‘Fine, I won’t follow, or I could just tell them, where you’re headed. Your choice’ she shrugged

If Sasuke was taken aback by her response, he didn’t show it. Huh hasn’t changed much, has he? She thought bitterly.

‘You can’t even betray someone properly’ he spoke in a monotone, bored by her antics.

‘You could fight me on this, but we both know you can’t, you’re barely able to stand straight. You think you can hide it but you can’t. Quite honestly, you won’t last another hour the way you’re going’

She knew she had pushed him this time.

‘Hn. Do what you want’ he finally said and stated moving ahead.

The rest of his team followed silently, unable to comprehend what just happened.

Sakura couldn’t believe her luck! She actually managed to get through to him, as much as he could relent anyway. Still it was a start, she thought.

Sighing, she dusted herself off, checked for any visible injuries, when finding none, she set off with them. If only Naruto could see her now.

She had to remind herself that Naruto wasn’t part of the picture anymore, he’ll be disappointed, but as she flash-stepped onto the nearby branches with Sasuke and his notorious companions, she realized that in the deepest crevices of her heart she knows that in the end what she’s doing is for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to get interesting, Keep reading and let me know what you think by leaving a comment or a kudos!  
> Also, Happy New Year! :)


	7. Chapter 7

When Sasuke was convinced that they had put as much space between the ANBU operatives and themselves as possible, did he allow his team and Sakura to rest. Sakura was beyond exhausted; they must have traveled halfway to Iron Country by now, though why they were going there was beyond her. 

They found a nearby inn and ordered two large rooms. Apparently, the idea was for the team to bunk together while Sasuke recovers alone. How impractical! Thought Sakura, not to mention, rude!

However she was too tired to complain and found the softest piece of floor to rest her sleeping bag on to crash.

She had just laid her head down when she was jolted awake by a sudden scream. Disoriented, she shot up, and bolted after the noise, kunai in hand.

‘What’s going on?’ she yelled

‘Juugo went on a rampage again, Sasuke’s trying to calm him down’ the sharp-tooted ninja, whom Sakura found out was called Suigetsu, explained.

She saw how Juugo kept thrashing around, looking as if he might attack anyone in sight.

‘Juugo, enough’ ordered Sasuke in a commanding voice.

Sakura was astonished to see him receding back to his original form. How had that worked?

With the storm abated, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Karin took him aside to look after him. Sakura could tell, Sasuke had used his Sharingan and cured ‘Juugo’ of his ailment. 

‘Ah well, show’s over Sakura-chan. I’m going to go get some sleep, you should too’ he said grinning at her toothily. 

‘Right’ she said absentmindedly, still gazing at Sasuke curiously.

She could tell he still hadn’t recovered and now that he used his Sharingan again, it was taking its toll. 

She sighed and stepped into his room, making up her mind.

‘You’re never going to fully recover if you keep using it constantly. You need to give it a rest’ she chided.

He scoffed. ‘Like you would know’

‘I do actually. It’s either prevention or dying; your call’ she shrugged

He rolled his eyes at her and remained silent as she approached him. 

When he didn’t flinch or move away, she strode up to him confidently. With her palms glowing green, she placed them carefully on his temples and started assessing his optic nerves. She was shocked to discover how damaged they were. The chakra networks were distorted and showed signs of over usage. He was really doing a number on them.  
She didn’t mention it though, instead kept working to repair his nerves for now.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked sharply

‘I’m not trying to kill you, if that’s what you’re wondering. Or else I would have done it by now’

He scoffed ‘Doubtful’ 

‘How would you know? We haven’t met in three years, for all you know I could kill you now, and be done with it’

He smirked.

‘I thought spending time with Kabuto would have taught you otherwise. Medics can get pretty creative when it comes to killing’ she smiled   
He frowned at that but remained silent.

‘You would betray your own village just to get rid of Danzo, you’re not going to kill anyone anytime soon’ he spoke in finality.

‘That’s what you think, Sasuke, but when it comes down to it, we don’t know a lot about each other, so let’s just keep it that way. We have a common enemy and until that enemy is taken care of, this understanding persists’ 

‘Understanding…and, what about after?’ he quirked an eyebrow

‘Who knows’ she shrugged

He nodded and Sakura dropped her hands to her sides. Taking it as a dismissal, she left the room, her mind reeling.

The next few days were spent travelling to a small hideout near Iron Country. The plan was to recover, regroup and formulate a strategy for their next mission.  
Sakura was puzzled when Sasuke brought it up but Suigetsu who found Sakura oddly interesting, explained how Madara was in charge of the Akatsuki and hey had to meet up with him to get the details.

Sakura frowned. 

Madara? As in Uchiha Madara? Sakura thought he was Sasuke’s ancestor who died a long time ago? Not to mention, someone who had long defected from Konoha after his fight with the First Hokage? Obviously things were not as plain as she thought in Konoha, and the shinobi system was full of secrets. 

They arrived at their hideout that evening and were greeted none too kindly by Madara himself.

To say he wasn’t pleased with Sakura’s induction in the team, was an understatement. He did not approve and showed open hostilities towards her. However after Sakura explained about Konoha’s position and her own defection from the village, he was somewhat pacified. 

He didn’t think she was an asset to the team and Sakura hated him for it. Who does he think he is anyway?  
But she bit her tongue and listened to him as he went over the details of the mission.

‘The Gokage Summit is coming up. Your job is simple; create a diversion and wreak havoc as I make a little declaration. Let them know that Akatsuki doesn’t play around. Let them know the might of the Uchiha, that still stands strong’ he finished, nodding at Sasuke. 

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, she didn’t know what it was but somehow she couldn’t shake off the creepy ominous feeling she got every time Madara was in the vicinity. She supposed it had to do with the fact that he was Sasuke’s ancestor who had somehow survived for this long. The thought just unsettled her. 

Then there was the mission. 

She didn’t think her betrayal would extend to actually aiding Akatsuki. She hadn’t planned or accounted for that; to be sucked into a world that resulted in the destruction of her home. All she could see were Naruto and Ino’s faces swimming before her eyes, how disappointed they’d be if they saw her aiding Sasuke. How hurt would they be to know she betrayed them?

Sakura sighed. She knew Sasuke and Madara were smart, they were observing her moves, assessing whether or not she was biding her time or lying to their faces. Although she did tell Sasuke he was a means to an end, she just didn’t think it would settle much with Madara. 

She had to be smart and move in a calculated manner. She can’t think about Konoha when Tsunade’s life hangs in the balance. She can’t think about Konoha and its people because ultimately what she’s doing is for them. 

She’ll just have to grit her teeth and bear it for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,  
> I'll try to be consistent as much as I can, but anyway, I'd love to hear from you.  
> Leave a comment or a kudos! :)


	8. Chapter 8

The mission as it turns out, was to attack the Gokage summit and declare war on the shinobi world. Sakura was extremely astonished at this sudden turn of events. She just couldn’t comprehend how Sasuke’s new team was involved in acts of war. Sasuke never showed inclinations of aiding terrorist organizations like Akatsuki. He only wanted to kill his brother and avenge the clan, so what brought this on?

Sakura spent days lying awake pondering over this new predicament. She didn’t mind the odd jobs that Madara sent her on. They were rather refreshing and almost welcome against the dreary atmosphere created by Madara’s looming shadow. 

Sakura found that her solo missions gave her quite the flexibility to experiment with her skills, whether its espionage, information gathering or active combat, she found that her range of expertise was pushed beyond what Konoha had her scheduled on. Her tactical range only expanded when she was able to move around without being recognized as a Konoha nin, a bittersweet realization. 

Sakura also found herself sent on missions with Suigetsu and Juugo, alternatively she found both of their company interesting. Suigetsu reminded her a little too much of Naruto sometimes, and she often found herself quelling the ache that developed in her chest every time Suigetsu loped away with an easy, laid back grace. 

The trio spent the next few days gathering information on Iron country’s security detail for the summit, the attendees and their scheduled arrival times. It was on the fifth day that Sakura found out that Danzo had been elected Hokage and was representing Konoha in the summit. She saw him arrive flanked by ROOT cronies and a distinctly familiar looking Jounin with a high ponytail. It took a few minutes for Sakura to recognize Shikamaru’s father.

‘Each of the Kages brought attendees-skilled ninjas. They must have been tipped off to expect trouble’ said Sakura.

‘No doubt’ concurred Juugo

‘There goes the easy mission’ sighed Suigetsu

‘Let’s head back and report what we know, we’ll regroup and strategize then’ Sakura said. 

They agreed and the three left for base camp.

When Sakura informed the group of the latest sightings, she was surprised to see that Madara didn’t look furious at all. In fact he didn’t show any emotion. Sakura thought that was odd, unless he was expecting it to happen. 

It’s like he wanted this to happen. The thought only made Sakura even more on edge. She was creeped out just being here with this group, that sinking feeling in her gut only amplified now that she had more reasons to doubt Madara. 

They spent the next day planning their strategy to gate-crash the kage summit. It wasn’t easy but Sakura knew it was a mission Madara was counting on to have zero slip ups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, it's been a while. I've got some new stuff planned for this fic. So stay tuned!


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura frowned at the new developments around her. She had thought Sasuke would be against attacking the kage, or involving himself in international political matters. It’s like he was thinking and acting like a member of a terrorist faction- like an S-rank criminal. The thought didn’t settle well with her at all.   
It’s one thing to pursue revenge; it’s another to turn your back on the village where you found your footing. 

She excused herself from the claustrophobic meeting room and set out to get some fresh air. She had traipsed outside the base and along the rocky coast nearby. Tracing her hands along the jutting rocks, she inhaled the salty air and found a moment of peace despite her crumbling world.

A few months ago she was in Konoha among friends despite Danzo’s regime; a year ago she was happy to hang out with her friends and had a jo at the hospital where she was well liked and respected among underclassmen and patients. Her shishou was with her too, and now….

It was a good thing she trained with Tsunade, her reflexes and senses responded quickly and well. She immediately sensed a presence following her and kept her calm while walking ahead as if nothing had happened. 

She kept at the routine until she felt a shift behind her, whirling around to confront the potential attacker she came face to face with Sasuke, the person she wanted to get away from.

‘What? No one ever told you not to sneak up on people? It’s rude’ she bit out. 

His eyes flashed and he simply scoffed. 

‘Your crudeness has no effect’ 

Pursing her lips, she walked away, ignoring him.

‘Best if you went to recuperate, there’s a lot of havoc to wreck tomorrow at the summit’ she called out.

‘You mean the mission’ he replied shortly.

She snorted.

‘Ah yes, the mission. Remind me again how it is a mission? Because it looks like an excuse to pick a fight with the five shinobi villages’ she turned around to face him in his black cloak, red clouded glory.

He simply pursed his lips and looked at her with a bored look. 

‘If you’re going to be this daft, I’m not going to bother to answer your questions’

She frowned. 

‘What made you join Akatsuki anyway? I thought you wanted to kill your brother and avenge your clan’

‘Hn and you thought I’d come home quietly after… how pitiful’

‘I hate to break it to you Sasuke but I don’t spend my time thinking about you’

‘Doubtful’ he scoffed.

She actually laughed at that.

‘Why? Are you upset that I’m not a weak girl trailing behind you anymore?’

‘You’re still weak. Doesn’t matter how long it’s been’

‘That’s what you think’

She didn’t give him a moment to look startled and threw a kunai at him. He dodged it expertly of course, catching on.

Closing in on him, she aimed a strong punch at him but missed. He smirked and Sakura leapt back. 

‘Is that all?’ he said

Frowning, she made a few hand signs and released a water sign jutsu. The waves of the sea immediately responded and crashed towards Sasuke in a grand tidal wave, he on the other hand, released his fire sign and created steam. 

Smirking, Sakura launched herself in the direction and landed a punch at Sasuke. She narrowly missed, as Sasuke could see and predict her movements while wielding the sharingan. With his infamous bloodline limit activated, he could see her through the dense steam and narrowly dodged her hit.

Landing another punch at him which he caught, Sakura then used her right leg to sweep under him in a swift kick, toppling him over. He turned on his heel and spun around to break his fall, landing behind her and locking both her arms.

Sakura inhaled sharply and sent chakra to her wrists, creating a momentum, she used her monstrous strength to lift Sasuke up and throw him over her head on the ground.

She could see how shocked he was, clearly not expecting that. He jumped up and lunged towards her but not before she launched another series of kicks and punches at him, some of which he blocked but others that landed. 

‘Enough!’ he cried out

Panting Sakura laughed. ‘Why? Afraid I’m winning?’

He cast the seals needed and sent another range of phoenix flame which she avoided with an earth style mud wall. 

She lunged forward and kicked him. She was going to end this and show him how she’s improved. He blocked it again and moved a few steps back. Creating the hand signs, he released a chidori and charged at her. She knew she was done for this time, she created another mud wall but he broke through it.

She leapt backwards and sent an acid attack towards him. She had recently learned that thanks to Katsuyu. Dodging it, Sasuke charged at her again, the chidori crackling in his palm, Sakura charged to, this time however with chakra coating her hand she aimed low and sliced the delicate tendon in his ankle.

Staggering he stumbled and collapsed. The chidori cracked the earth beneath him and he fell a few inches below in the ground. Smirking, Sakura landed a final punch to his midsection and sat on him triumphantly. 

‘Ha! I win’ she said simply.

Grunting, Sasuke squinted up at her and frowned. 

‘If only Naruto could see me now. Don’t ever underestimate me again Sasuke’ she slapped his chest playfully and smiled, her eyes full of mirth.

‘Tch, you got lucky’ 

‘Oh please, you lived with Kabuto for years, don’t tell me you’ve never seen him do that trick? I got it from him.’

‘I don’t care what Kabuto does’ he sat up and pushed her off lightly.

‘Maybe that’s the problem. You’re too short sighted. Ironic isn’t it?’ she giggled and got up.

‘Well as fun as it was, I’m starving. Want to head to thenearby town? I’ll even heal your wounds’ she offered.

‘No.’

‘Don’t be such a spoilsport, you lost, but you weren’t even going all out’ she shrugged and helped him up.

Sasuke remained silent and started walking towards the town. Taking it as a sign, Sakura followed and fueled chakra through her hands to heal him at the same time.

He looked over at her questioningly. 

‘It’s easier this way’ she shrugged.

He turned away from her, wondering that the hell had happened to the girl he left behind and who on earth had replaced her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, so I found some inspiration to dust this fic off the shelf again. Hope you like the new chapter!  
> Ps: I want to clarify that though the story bears a strong resemblance to shippuden it is in no way a retelling of the story. Its simply my understanding of the ninja world and the fact that Kishimoto did such little justice to the political nuances of that world. I wanted to highlight that and show a badass Sakura.   
> Leave a comment if you liked it!


	10. Chapter 10

Sakura sidled comfortably in a corner booth of a shady looking bar. The town didn’t offer much when it came to services, so Sakura supposed her current surroundings were adequate and she was hungry.

She hadn’t expected him to follow her or accept her invitation. Sasuke had a tendency to brood over his losses as far as she could remember, even if he tried to hide them. So it’s no surprise that he wears a deep frown on his face and sulks behind her all the way to the bar. 

‘You could sit you know’ she tell him when he doesn’t follow her to the booth.

He shrugs, scanning the area around them.

A waitress comes over and Sakura places her order for both of them, when Sasuke doesn’t respond to her. The girl leaves after placing steaming cups of tea in front of them. 

‘Well, I’m famished and I’m getting the biggest helping of everything they’ve got!’ she exclaimed. 

‘Hn, you’ll only draw attention to yourself’ he replied, finally taking a seat, opposite her

‘You were welcome to decline the invitation’

‘This is a good vantage point to observe and gather information’

‘Oh you mean, like we were doing for the last few days? Like we haven’t this entire time? How much intel do you need for a boring Kage meeting? Seriously you need to loosen up’

When he remained quiet, she smirked and tried her luck to rile him again.

‘You know, if you just got laid, you wouldn’t be act like a prick all the time’

It was for a second, but Sakura knew he choked on his tea. She smirked.

He looked at her, his eyes flashing dangerously.

She shrugged ‘It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything, really there’s no shame in it’

‘Sakura’ he warned.

‘Really Sasuke, I get it, Orochimaru wouldn’t have taken the time to deal with that for you, or maybe he would have…’ she lost trail of her speech.

Sasuke exhaled sharply which made Sakura chuckle lightly. 

‘You’re the only one here who acts like it’s something shameful, I mean really, even Naruto and I got over it and did it a long time ago’ she said casually inspecting a hooded figure at the bar. 

She looked back at Sasuke to find him staring at her with his eyes slightly wide and his mouth set in a firm line.

Realizing what she had said, Sakura shook her head frantically ‘Oh God, not with each other, ugh’ she made gagging sounds. The very thought sounded vile. 

‘No, he’s in a very stable relationship, it’s nauseating really’ she smiled a little at that, wondering what he would say if he saw his teammates together, having a casual conversation, well a one-sided one anyway.

Sasuke clearly looked appalled despite trying his best to hide it. Sakura knew he hated losing to Naruto, so she tried to tease up on that aspect. 

‘So, maybe we can find you someone here too’ she suggested, smirking a little.

‘No’

‘Stop being so prudish, I’ll even set you up with someone’ she smiled and started scanning the area.

‘Sakura shut up or I’ll make you’

‘You couldn’t even if you tried’ she sneered.

Luckily he didn’t respond because the waitress had returned with the food. Sakura didn’t bother with the rest of the conversation. 

Madara addressed them the next day in the main conference room before they headed out. Sasuke and Sakura were to be joined by Juugo while Suigetsu and Karin went with Madara. 

‘Kill if necessary, you know the rest’ 

Sakura may not have been completely privy to their many strategy meetings, but she knew they weren’t just there to declare war, why would Madara waste time to say a few words? No she was convinced he was up to something. What confused her was how readily Sasuke agreed to it. In retrospect Sakura realized she shouldn’t have goaded Sasuke, but his lack of acknowledgement especially in their genin days, had her pulling punches. 

She knew she shouldn’t have taken it that far, but something about startling Sasuke with her abilities and new found brashness, made her realize that that despite having gotten over her childish feelings for him, Sakura wanted to protect him, even if he was an internationally branded criminal. 

For that reason alone, she was willing to sully her reputation as a Konoha medic and go up against Danzo and the village. She suspected things weren’t so great there either, considering how she left. Shikamaru may be smart but even he would be under a lot of pressure at the moment and she can’t even think of Naruto and Kakashi. 

Despite how things turned out Sakura really wanted to protect her village and friends, even if she had to be branded a criminal’s accomplice. It was all because of what Danzo did! He was the real reason, so she decided the summit was a perfect opportunity to take him out!

With that in mind Sakura set out towards their designated vantage point. It was there, at a nearby quarry, that Sakura lay hidden awaiting the signal. Samurai guards patrolled the designated tower where the Gokage were set to arrive. Sakura counted sixteen in total. She could see Juugo positioned a few meters, north of her, and Sasuke on her West. 

When they got the signal from Madara, Sasuke put the guards near the main gate in a genjutsu, paralyzing them. The three of them then moved to the tower quickly; however they were stopped by approaching Samurai who sensed disturbances in chakra. 

Everything happened in a flash. One appeared behind Sakura and swung his sword, narrowly missing her. She jumped up and let her fist collide with his face, sending him along the elongated corridor. The others were facing similar predicaments. Sasuke flung the attacking samurai with ease and ran forward. Juugo was taking on three at a time and when Sakura moved to assist him he refused. 

‘Go Sakura’ he said, his voice booming in the empty, white corridor. 

She ran forward and caught up with Sasuke, who was facing a tall figure clad in blue with long red hair. The Mizukage!

The older woman looked at the two and smiled mischievously. 

‘How sad, I hate to see youth and beauty wasted like this’ she lamented but sudden; got serious and attacked. 

Sakura jumped out of the way as she sent lava in their direction. Sasuke expertly dodged it and tried to move around her but she stopped him with a swift kick. Sakura meanwhile punched the wall next to her and used the distraction to make her escape. 

If the Mizukage had arrived I could only mean that Madara was successful, however with Sasuke distracted and Madara nowhere to be found, Sakura thought it was a perfect opportunity to seek out Danzo. She rushed towards the main tower where she knew security would be the thickest. It was in Madara’s briefing after all.

She rushed towards the building but was met with a heavy chakra signature her way, Sakura hid behind a nearby pillar and inspected the scene before her. It was Danzo limping away from the destroyed room. Clearly the area showed signs of Madara’s speech. 

As he limped, Sakura saw him stop. For a moment she thought he sensed her, but a few seconds later, she saw another figure walking towards Danzo.

It was Madara!

Sakura dimmed down her chakra signature so as not to alert the other two. They didn’t look to be hostile towards each other; they didn’t even look ready to attack. What was going on?

‘Everything is moving in our favor’ spoke Madara lowly.

‘Ah, good. I believe you have planted in the story then?'

‘Yes, it will bear results soon enough'

‘What of our deal?’

‘It still stands, until you deliver your end of the bargain.’

‘Konoha will yield once you make you move. I have ROOT stationed in all corners, Sarutobi’s pets can’t move on their own. I expect you to deliver too on what we agreed on’

‘I’ve already set out the events in motion.’

‘What of the anomaly?’

‘That will be taken care of when the time comes, for now, I’m going to use that to my advantage’

Danzo nodded solemnly and headed off with another warning towards the other man. 

Sakura didn’t dare move from her place. She knew he was weary of her and didn’t trust her at all. After what seemed like an eternity, Madara walked away presumably towards Suigetsu who was fighting the Iwa shinobi not far off.

Sakura exhaled and left to find Sasuke. She needed to get out of the tower and process what she heard. She didn’t realize a dark haired figure watching her sprint with eyes narrowed at her. 

Sakura moved quickly, locating Sasuke who sat near the desecrated entrance waiting for Madara. When she approached him, he gave no sign of recognition except turning towards her. 

A few seconds after she caught up with him, a wall to their right exploded. The both turned towards the sight and saw Suigetsu running towards them in panic. 

‘I think the mission’s over, we need to leave before those stupid Iwa knuckleheads throw any more boulders at me’

‘Hn’ grunted Sasuke. A zetsu emerged from the ground beside them and confirmed Madara’s order to rendezvous at the base. Sasuke nodded and flash stepped. Sakura and Suigetsu followed behind. 

They had barely made it out of Samurai country when they were intercepted by another squad.

‘We’re being followed, most likely there are two of them’ said Juugo emerging from a nearby forest. 

Before any of them could respond, another group of Samurai halted their movements.

‘Man, I’ve been itching to test my skills against the samurai swords’ grinned Suigetsu.

‘You go I’ll assist him’ said Juugo quietly. 

Without wasting any more time, Sasuke frowned and glanced quickly towards Sakura, he then conceded and the two left. 

Sakura could still sense the presence of other chakra signatures following them and told Sasuke. 

They leapt from tea branches quickly to maintain a distance however, Sakura kept sensing them despite travelling for a while. 

They arrived near a valley with a waterfall nearby. Out of breath and massaging her strained calf muscle, Sakura stopped and filled her personal canteen. She healed herself and drew a breath, offering Sasuke some water which he surprisingly took. Clearly the fight with the Mizukage had taken a toll on him too. 

However they didn’t have time to wallow on the damage, both shinobi ran across the water but were intercepted when a kunai was flung at them and a very angry and loud orange blur was charging at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I know the pace was fast in the earlier chapters but at this point things will slow down, until the get back up again. There's a lot more action coming soon.  
> Ps: I bet you can guess who intercepted them :P  
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment or a kudos if you liked it! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm back with a new fic.  
> Personally, I loved the idea of Sakura torn between her village and Sasuke although it was poorly executed in the series, I wanted to do justice to the agony of her decision making.  
> Leave a review or a kudos! :)


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